How to Build Links from Resource Pages (With Templates)
What Are Resource Pages?
Resource pages are curated lists of links that a website publishes to help its audience find the best tools, guides, and references on a given topic. They're among the most link-builder-friendly pages on the web because their entire purpose is to link out — and getting listed on a relevant, well-maintained resource page can deliver both a high-quality backlink and steady referral traffic.
Unlike guest posts or niche edits, resource page link building is almost entirely white hat: you're helping a site owner improve their resource list by pointing them to something genuinely useful for their readers.
How to Find Resource Pages
Resource pages are easy to find using Google search operators. Use your niche keyword with any of the following patterns:
[niche] "useful resources"[niche] "helpful links"[niche] "recommended reading"[niche] intitle:resources[niche] inurl:resources[niche] "best [content type]"
Also look at competitor backlink profiles — if a resource page links to your competitor's guide, it's a strong candidate for linking to yours.
What Makes Your Content Resource-Page-Worthy?
Not every page on your site deserves a spot on a resource page. The best candidates are:
- Comprehensive guides that cover a topic thoroughly
- Original research or data that others want to cite
- Free tools or templates that your audience finds practically useful
- Definitive reference pages that are regularly updated
Before running outreach, assess your content honestly: if a site owner visited your page, would they genuinely want to add it to their list? If the answer is "maybe," improve the page first.
Outreach Templates for Resource Pages
Template 1: The Simple Suggestion
Template 2: The Broken Link Angle
Template 3: The Update Angle
Qualifying and Prioritizing Your Target List
Not all resource pages are equal. Prioritize pages that: have real organic traffic, are on topically relevant sites, appear to be actively maintained (not last updated in 2018), and link to high-quality external resources rather than low-quality filler content.
A resource page on an authoritative industry site that already links to recognizable publications is worth pursuing aggressively. A resource page with 200 links to random sites is not.
For a broader link building strategy framework, see What Is Link Building? The Complete Beginner's Guide. For tracking the links you earn, see How to Track Backlink Exchanges Without a Spreadsheet.